A new study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology notes that some mamas experience a natural high when they hear their...

A new study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology notes that some mamas experience a natural high when they hear their baby cry. Obviously that sounds fishy, because who among us loves a crying babe, but as it turns out this is a good thing. According Dr Lane Strathearn, a PhD candidate at University of Queensland, "For mothers with a secure attachment, we found that both happy and sad infant faces produced a reward signal in their brain, or a 'natural high'... However, mothers with an insecure attachment pattern didn't show the same brain response ... their own infant's crying face activated the insula, a brain region associated with unfairness, pain or disgust." To learn this scientists scanned the brain activity of mamas as they were shown photos of their baby displaying various facial expressions. Mamas were also assessed on their upbringing. This study is meant to help explain bonding and what happens when bonding goes wrong. Researchers note that this may also help to better understand the factors leading to child neglect. The research was conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas - you can read more about the study at The Australian.